Chapter 17: Iruka's Guidance
Ninja Academy
A black-haired boy walked along the hallway outside his classroom, his face cold and unapproachable, radiating an intimidating aura that warned others to stay away.
The massacre of the Uchiha Clan had shaken the entire Hidden Leaf Village over the past two weeks, stirring massive unrest. The once-prestigious clan was wiped out overnight, and Uchiha Itachi, the culprit, was immediately declared an S-rank rogue ninja by the village.
The standing order was clear: any Konoha shinobi who encountered him was to eliminate him on sight.
Uchiha Sasuke, the only survivor of the massacre, had become a symbol of both tragedy and vengeance. The burden of a blood-soaked vendetta now weighed heavily on his shoulders.
The girls in the academy who used to admire him from afar had started looking at him differently. Pity and sympathy replaced admiration, and those looks pierced deeper than any kunai. Sasuke, already tormented, felt an even heavier darkness clouding his heart.
"Wow! Sakura, that's amazing!" a voice exclaimed from inside the classroom.
"You're already starting sixth-grade curriculum?"
Sasuke hadn't even stepped into the room yet, but he clearly heard Yamanaka Ino's excited voice.
"That means you'll be graduating soon, right?" Ino continued. "Then I guess I won't get to see you as often…"
Sasuke stood still outside the classroom door, his fist clenched tightly.
Haruno Sakura.
A prodigy of this generation.
Compared to her, he felt like a fool—an embarrassment.
That humiliating "sparring match" half a month ago still stung deeply. The difference in their abilities had been utterly overwhelming. He hadn't even managed to match her strength.
How could a girl his age make him feel so helpless?
Sasuke stayed rooted at the classroom entrance for a long time, his face dark and unreadable. Then, silently, he turned and walked away.
He was going to find Iruka. He too wanted to skip grades!
---
"Don't say that, Ino," Sakura replied casually, flipping through her textbook with a smile. "Even if I graduate early, I can still come pick you up after school."
Just yesterday, Sakura had officially passed the fifth-grade exams and begun sixth-grade studies. For the first time, she felt a challenge—not academically, but physically.
After all, she was still in a seven-year-old's body. The leap from fifth to sixth grade was normally taken by eleven-year-olds.
What made it harder was that physical tests couldn't involve chakra. Everything had to be done with raw strength.
Otherwise, she could've simply focused her monstrous strength into her legs and jumped several meters in one bound.
Her conclusion: she needed to take it easy for a while and let her body mature more naturally. Eight years old would be a more reasonable graduation age.
But if she waited until then, she'd only have one year to acquire the Yin Seal. That would be cutting it dangerously close.
One year to obtain the Yin Seal, three years to build up chakra reserves—and all to line things up just right to meet Tsunade at age twelve.
The schedule was tight. Painfully tight.
"Eh?" Ino tilted her head, imagining a peculiar scenario.
A crowd of parents waited at the school gate. Amidst them stood Sakura, the same age as her, waving like a proud elder and calling out: "Ino, over here!"
"Ughhh…" Ino groaned. That image felt so weird.
"No way! You better not come pick me up like that when you graduate! Just sneak over secretly instead!"
The light-blonde girl wrapped her arms around Sakura's waist, pouting as she leaned against her.
"Alright, alright. I'll sneak over to get you, okay?" Sakura laughed softly, stroking her friend's hair.
---
Iruka looked solemnly at the boy in front of him.
Sasuke.
One of the most talked-about people in all of Konoha—no, in the entire ninja world at the moment.
The last of the Uchiha.
Who could've imagined that a clan with a millennium of legacy would be eradicated in a single night?
"Please, Iruka-sensei!" Sasuke bowed deeply before the instructor, voice filled with intensity.
Iruka carefully considered his response. He didn't want to touch on any emotional landmines that might trigger the boy.
"Sasuke, can you tell me why you want to skip grades?"
Sasuke straightened, his face twisted with rage. He stared into Iruka's eyes and said firmly, "Because I need to kill that man."
There was no need to guess who "that man" was.
Uchiha Itachi.
"Sasuke," Iruka said gently, choosing his words with great care, "I think there's something you may have misunderstood."
He continued, trying to offer encouragement without sounding harsh. "Wanting to skip grades like Sakura—that kind of drive is admirable. But Sakura didn't become strong because she skipped grades."
"She skipped grades because she was already strong."
"In class, Sakura only needs to listen for fifteen minutes. That's enough for her to fully understand the content. For the rest of the time, she's just sitting there."
"Sasuke, if I condensed an entire lecture into fifteen minutes, would you be able to grasp everything?"
"And that's just for the academic subjects. As for physical ability—well, I believe you understand that part better than anyone else."
Iruka's words hit Sasuke like a silent explosion. He stood motionless, fists trembling in frustration.
"The truth is," Iruka continued, "skipping grades doesn't necessarily make you stronger."
"Skipping is just one way of progressing. Advancement is merely a new title—it has nothing to do with how strong you really are."
"Sakura only chose to skip because staying in class was wasting her time."
"But you, Sasuke—if you use your six years at the academy to forge yourself into a true shinobi, your strength will speak for itself. The title means nothing if you can't survive in the field."
Iruka's voice was sincere and firm. He wasn't just teaching; he was guiding, trying to prevent a student from rushing headlong into destruction.
If Sasuke became a ninja prematurely with his current emotional state, he wouldn't survive his first real mission.
"I see… So what you're saying, Iruka-sensei, is that I don't need to skip grades to become strong. I just need to focus on improving myself?"
Sasuke's expression shifted slightly. Iruka's reasoning had made an impact.
"Yes," Iruka nodded. "And if you ever need help—whether it's training techniques or just questions about the material—you can always come to me."
"Even if I don't know the answer, I'll help you find a ninja who does."
His tone softened, and a hint of affection showed in his eyes.
"Thank you… Iruka-sensei. I understand now."
---
By noon, Sakura had already left the Ninja Academy. The afternoon was scheduled for academic lessons anyway, and whether she attended or not made little difference.
What she really needed now wasn't more study or training. It was rest. She needed time for this young body to grow stronger naturally.
Her internal plan was clear: reach the level of the Yin Seal by age eight, then dedicate three years to building up her chakra. That way, when she met Tsunade at twelve, she'd be fully prepared.
But time was her enemy.
Only one year to master the Yin Seal.
Only three to forge her chakra pathways and strength.
Sakura sighed as she walked toward the Hokage's Office.
Two weeks ago, Sarutobi Hiruzen had told her that if she had questions about chakra control and strength techniques—especially related to her monstrous strength—she could come see him directly.
And she wasn't about to let that offer go to waste.
Navigating the route like a pro, she soon reached the Hokage building.
There, at the front gate, she was stopped by two mid-ranked Chūnin standing guard.
"Little girl, do you need something?" one of them asked kindly, bending down to her eye level.
Sakura, with her neat pink hair and intelligent eyes, did look particularly cute. After all, even the author A.B. had once described her with the word "beautiful."
"I'm here to see the Hokage," she replied calmly. "He told me I could come."
Then, very sensibly, she pulled out the chakra-enhancement technique scroll that the Hokage had given her before. She held it up for them to see.
Every high-level jutsu scroll had a unique code printed on it.
The guards immediately recognized it as authentic.
"I see. In that case, little miss, please wait here for a moment while I go inform the Hokage."
There was no unnecessary drama, no clichés, no resistance. Just proper, respectful handling of the situation.
This was how things were supposed to work.
---
End of Chapter 17